Theatre by the Lake

I marvel each day the number of Austen-related blog posts, newspaper articles, and just plain references to “Jane Austen” that show up, sometimes in the unlikeliest of places. It’s like the old story if you buy a yellow VW, you will suddenly see a ton of yellow VWs running all over the place. My mother named me “Deborah” when the name was unheard of – and a year later, everywhere she went she heard mothers calling for their little “Debbies” – same for me when I gave my daughter 38 years ago my completely unheard of middle name of “Jessica”, a name from my English grandmother – and we all know how many of those are running around! … so I ask, was Austen always this much in the news, or is it because I am just paying attention??

That said, here are several of the more interesting Austen-sitings from the past week or so – and this barely touches the surface!

*First must start with a reminder to check out the JASNA.org site for information on the 2010 AGM in Portland Oregon – it is more than half-full, so if you have thoughts of attending this sure-to-be-fabulous gathering in celebration of Northanger Abbey, best to send in your registration as soon as possible.

* Speaking of Chawton – Tony Grant on his London Callingblog has posted on “Why do we want to visit Chawton” with a wonderful photograph of the staircase from the second story – search “Jane Austen” on his blog and you will find a variety of other Austen-related posts. Tony is also writing a weekly column for the Jane Austen Today blog: this week a post on “Jane Austen and the English Country Garden” – lovely pictures and commentary!

**

*John Mullan, Austen and 18th century scholar [he spoke at the Philadelphia AGM on “Sisterly Chat”, one of my favorite talks – now in Persuasions 31 [2009], pp. 59-68, but alas! not yet online], has written a review of the newly released reprint of Maria Edgeworth’s Helen – hopefully rekindling interest in this Irish authoress, much read and admired by Jane Austen. You can read his review here at The Guardian.

It bruises Emma that Jane Fairfax is so very good at playing the piano (if only she had practised a little more). Jane’s prowess at the keyboard becomes central to the plot. Who could be the donor of the expensive instrument that is delivered to Miss Bates’s house, where Jane is staying? It must surely be a male admirer. Well, yes, but Emma’s deductions lead her very astray.

Of course, I would have added Sense & Sensibility [Marianne’s haven, Brandon struck by love-at-first-sight] and Pride & Prejudice [Darcy and Elizabeth at the piano at Rosings is quite the character-revealing scene – and who can forget Lady Catherine’s exclamations of her own talents!] – but the other nine listed are worthy opponents, and Austen can not take over every list!

**

* and more on Ms. Edgeworth last month at Foyle’s online: in “Jane Austen continues to surpass Maria Edgworth”

Rosemary Goring, the literary editor of the Herald, pointed out that Edgeworth was considered to be a ‘far more fashionable and illustrious’ author than Austen when the two were writing and still has fans today, as evidenced by her recently reissued Helen. However, she noted that it is Austen who has captured the hearts and imaginations of modern readers, partly due to her reluctance to moralise and her willingness to include immorality in her works. ‘Edgeworth’s fiction may have been the bestselling work of her era, making her the richest novelist alive, but where she thumps the table and cranks up the melodrama, Austen quietly rips the rug from under her characters and her readers,’ Goring added.

[from Foyle’s Bookstores website]

**

* …the ball, it is quite a settled thing; and as soon as Nicholls has made white soup enough, I shall send round my cards.”[P&P, ch. 11]

Julie at Austenonly has given us a rousing post on the history of that ever-to-be-understood “White Soup” – certainly one the shortest throwaway lines in literature to generate such a number of articles! A lovely post with numerous illustrations and recipes. Nicholls would heartily approve!

**

*I had the pleasure last year to attend a play at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick in the Lake District. We saw “The Maid of Buttermere “- I now get all their mailings, and usually bemoan the fact that I on the wrong side of the pond, but never moreso than this season for the staging of Northanger Abbey adapted by Tim Luscombe- it runs from May 29 – November 5, 2010.

**

* “To be published May 2011, Professor Rachel Brownstein’s book Why Jane Austen? considers reasons why the nineteenth-century English novelist “became a star during the last 20 years.” Brownstein, who teaches at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center, is a renowned Austen scholar. Her first book, Becoming a Heroine: Reading about Women in Novels (Viking, 1982), stemmed from encounters with women returning to Brooklyn College after raising children. Those students “had special interest in the situation of women and in nineteenth-century novels, first among them Jane Austen’s,” says Brownstein. “In this new book, I write about the ways that feminism, anti-feminism, and post-feminism, among other factors, have fed the popular passion for Jane.” [from the Brooklyn College website] – oh boy! another book to add to the mix of Sutherland’s Jane Austen’s Textual Lives and Harman’s Jane’s Fame…] – and Brownstein’s Becoming Heroine is a must have for your library… wonderful chapter on Austen…

*And Vic at the Jane Austen’s World blog has created another entirely new blog called Art & History Tour, a place for “historical posts and reviews not dealing with Jane Austen and the Regency era”… another lovely addition to cyberspace! [but hope this doesn’t take Vic away from “all things Austen” for too much of her time…]

*the Teach Me Tonight blog has announced the August release of the first issue of the Journal of Popular Romance Studies ~ great articles with open access online. Visit the IASPR website for more information [the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance]

**

* and last but certainly not least, Mags at Austenblog has a whole new look! – she comes out swinging her “Clubat” at the Very-Deserving Glenn Beck – see her post here [what was he thinking?!]